Budin Azteca

Budin Azteca, also known as Mexican lasagne, is rather like an unconstructed enchilada - chicken or beef in layers with cheese and tortillas. Use our Mexican spices, or see below for an alternative. Traditionally this would be made with overlapping small corn tortillas, but large flour ones are just as good although possibly not as substantial and more difficult if you do not have a round dish! Serve with guacamole and salad. serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef or boneless chicken pieces

• 1 carton Mexican spice blend, or 1 tsp each ground cumin, smoked paprika and oregano

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 green pepper, finely chopped

• 1/2 portion red enchilada sauce (see here for recipe)

• 250g cheese (mild cheddar or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)

• 500g sour cream or creme fraiche

• fresh chopped coriander, to serve

• 3 large tortillas or 12 small ones

Recipe

For beef:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion until soft. Remove.

2. Add the meat to the pan and brown. Add the spices and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, then add the tomato sauce, keeping back a couple of large spoonsful. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour, until lovely and thick.

3. Oil a large casserole and pour in the remaining sauce. Place one large flour tortilla, or 4 small overlapping corn ones, in the base and add a third of the meat followed by the pepper.

4. Add a third of the sour cream with a third of the cheese.

5. Repeat the layers twice more: tortilla, meat, pepper, cream, cheese.

6. Bake in a medium oven for about 40 minutes. Serve scattered with coriander.

For chicken:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces in the oil and spices for a couple of hours, then bake in a medium oven for about 20 minutes or until just about cooked. Shred and stir into the tomato sauce.

2. Meanwhile gently fry the onion and garlic and combine with the shredded chicken.

3. Follow the recipe for beef from no:3.